Continuous kiln



March 11, 11930. C. B'. wlNzER 1,749,866

' CONTINUOUS KILN Filed March 28,' 1929 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 OFFICE CHARLES BURTON wmznn, or cLArnm,'LoNno`N,.ENGLAN1i CONTINUOUS XILN Application led Iarch 28, 1,929, Serial No.`350,569, and nGreat Britain March 8, 1928.

This invention relates to continuous ovens or ldlns for firing pottery goods at higher or lower temperatures, but the apparatus, with certain structural alterations, may also be used for other purposes such as the annealing y of steel plates, the tiring of bricks or for dry- Y ing materials.

The chief .object of the present invention is to provide an eiiicient apparatus wherein the firing or heating will at all times be uniform andregular and wherein the goods remain stationary throughout the treatment.

In accorda-nce with the present invention the goods or material to be treated areplaced 'on or in stationary carriers or placed upon a stationary platform or hearth within a travelling tunnel having heating and cooling zones, the former furnished with or provided by coal, gas, oilor other furnaces.

Referring to the accompanying drawm .i iig. 1 is a sectional elevation, partly diagrammatic, of an apparatus constructed in accordance with or embodying the present in- 2 vention, and

F Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown in is the travelling tunnel, B are the cages for the g'oods or material and D is the stationary platform.

In the embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration and explanation the appa- .ratus is of circular formation, providing a continuous or endless tunnel, but it may be constructed in a straight form; the present embodiment being particularly applicable for ring pottery goods.

The carriers or cages B for holding the goods are placed on an upper platform or hearth C-which is made up of separate, movable sections of iireclay blocks that fit closely against each other and thus form an unbroken or continuous' annular support; and these sections are each mounted on wheels C1 adapted to run on rails E on the lower platform D. The rails E (see Fig. 2) are ar.- ranged in pairs running radially across the platform at suitable intervals or distances apart around its entire circumference.

The travelling tunnel A, which' may be constructed in any appropriate manner and of suitable materials; has a roof and side walls whlch enclose or embrace saddlewise' the hearth or sectional platform C and the carriers B for the goods. This tunnel is furnished with inner and outer sets of wheels or runners A1, A2 adapted to run on tracks F, F1 which conveniently are sunk below the 4level of the hearth.

The lower ends'of the tunnel walls overlap slightly the edges of the platforms C and D, and the inner walls of the tunnel are furnished with plates a, a1 which enter channels b, b1 arranged around the inner andouter edges of the platform D. Y These channels may be filled with sand or other material to form seals and so prevent or minimize the lingress of air to the tunnel.

' disposed pipe J1 which leads into a manifold or distributor J2 having branches leading to each combustion chamber.-

The waste gases are withdrawn from a cool zone of the tunnel by a pipe or ue K which communicates with a discharge pipe or chimney I5 arranged axially above -the supply 1 e l P pproximately diametrically opposite the furnaces and therefore in a cool zone of the tunnel there is situated a loading and discharge opening furnished with a sliding or otherwise movable door M.

Alongside this door or opening is arranged ashort travelling platform N mounted on wheels N1 adapted to run on a continuous track N2; and adjacent said door there are mounted two other sliding doors O, O1 a little more than the length of a section apart, said doors O, O1 extending across the tunnel.

When the tunnel is travelling the door M is closed and the doors O, O1' are withdrawn or are open. When it is desired to withtherein, the doors O, O1 are closed to isolate the particular section and carrier from the others and to prevent escape of the heating gases from or' the ingress of air to the tunnel. After the doors 0,01 have been closed the outer door M is opened and the hearth section and carrier can be moved out of the tunnel onto the travelling platform N.

This travelling platform, in addition-to moving with the tunnel, is also capable of a certain amount of movement relatively to the tunnel vso that when ahearth section and carrier have been moved out of the tunnel, a fresh or Waiting hearth section with unfired goods can be brought opposite the doorway and moved into the tunnel. lVhen this fresh section has been moved into `the tunnel, the

outer door M is closed and the cross-doors O, O1 are again opened. i

Additional heating llues may be provided to conduct heat to or under the hearth.

As the goods,` once Within the tunnel, are

stationary throughout the firing process, they are not subjected to shocks or vibrations.

During the travel of the heating'tunnel the goods, placed first in a cool zone, are subjected to a gradually rising heat, and this -heat is applied equally in turn to all the goods so that uniform firing is obtained throughout the tunnel and the heat is 'uniform at the top, bottom and sides of the carriers.

the travelling platform is mounted 'to have a movement of limited extent along the track relative to the tunnel, in addition to its movement With the tunnel, so as to enable a fresh section and a carrier containing unfired goods to'be moved'from theplatform through the pipe for the spent gases leading from the tunnel.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

CHARLES BURTON WINZER.

As the loading and unloading platform N travels with the tunnel, the goods can be loaded and unloaded around the entire circumference of the tunnel.

What-I claim'is:-

1. In a continuous kiln, the combination of an annular rotary tunnel having a combined loading and discharge opening in its outer wall; driving means for said tunnel; means for heating the interior of the tunnel; an upper and a lower' stationary annular platform enclosed -in superposed relation within the confines of the tunnel, the` upper platform embod ing a circular series of sections capable of individual'movement radially through said opening; an annular track encircling the tunnel in proximity to its. outer Wall; and a platform mounted opposite the said opening to travel with the tunnel along said track, each section .ofthe upper platform adapted to support a removable goods carrier which is withdrawn with the corresponding section through said opening onto the travelling platform. 2. A kiln according to claim 1, in which a movable doorv is provided for the loading an'd discharge opening to open and close the same, and additional movable doors are'providedv Within the tunnel to isolate a platform section and its goods carrier about to be run through said opening.

3. A kiln according to claim v1, in which-- 

